Brazil Makes a Move for the Far Right with Election of President Jair Bolsonaro

Jair Bolsonaro, far-right lawmaker and presidential candidate of the Social Liberal Party (PSL), gestures after casting his vote during general elections on October 28, 2018 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo: Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

On Sunday, far-right politician and former army captain Jair Bolsonaro won Brazil's presidential runoff election. He beat his opponent, Workers' Party Fernando Haddad, with 55 percent of the vote. Bolsonarso, a polarizing figure who has drawn comparisons to President Trump, marks a significant shift in Brazilian politics, which has been dominated by the left for more than a decade. Bolsonaro has made anti-LGBTQ and anti-feminist statements, worrying many civil rights activists. Forum discusses what Bolsonaro could mean for the future of Brazil and regional politics.